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575.430.3040

August 2017

Interesting Thought…In a recent article in the American Handgunner, Tom Givens of Rangemaster has the following comments about the situations some of his students have dealt with over the years. There is a lot of food for thought here…

I have good debriefs on almost 70 defensive shootings involving my students over the years. Over 9 out of 10 of these occurred away from home, at convenience stores, shopping malls, grocery stores, ATM’s and other public places. Since they were in public spaces, even at night there was adequate illumination to see and function quite well. Not one shooting involved a flashlight, and not one student indicated they felt a need for one at the time.

Over 9 out of 10 occurred between 3 and 5 yards, which is about the length of a typical American sedan. Most involved little or no movement, with a quick side-step being the only movement involved in all but two. Only three fired from other than a standing position and only one incident involved intentional physical contact between the attacker and the defender. The fight was won in all of these cases by the quick application of pretty basic skills.

Renewal and Refresher classes…Check the dates on your license…NOW! It’s amazing how many people are late for their Refresher or Renewal classes. I am doing these on request. If you need your Renewal or Refresher let me know and we’ll schedule your class. I have been doing these classes individually or in small groups for some time now and people seem to like this way of doing the classes.

Rescheduled Couples Class (Retreat)… We have rescheduled the Couples Class originally set for July 15 and changed the format. It is now a Couples Retreat, includes a night shooting session, and will be Saturday, October 28.

Whether you are both armed, or if only one of you is armed, this Couples Retreat will be an excellent way to practice communicating with each other in self-defense situations and discover what role each might play in such a situation. While it is not for beginning shooters. we welcome couples where only one is armed. After all, the non-shooter is still part of the team and must be considered in any self-defense situation.

A team effort between Riclin Firearms Training and SAFE in Las Cruces this Couples Retreat will be held at the Butterfield Shooting Range west of Las Cruces.

You will discuss and discover how you and your spouse or significant other would respond to…

a home invasion while both of you are watching TV one evening

an intruder in your bedroom (this will be done after dark)

an assault when you are in your vehicle

when you all are walking while carrying your child or a bag of groceries

other realistic situations

The Retreat will begin at 12:00 noon and finish about 9:00 pm. Dinner will be provided. Cost is $150 per couple. We are asking for a $50 deposit per couple to register you for the retreat. The remainder of the fee is due at the beginning of the retreat.

Pecos Run and Gun… We are training for the upcoming Pecos Run and Gun event in Pecos, TX on September 16. A 5-mile loop with 6 shooting stops, you must carry a rifle, handgun, ammo, and water the entire distance. This is an event that challenges your physical fitness, your equipment, and your marksmanship. And it is a lot of fun. If you are interested in participating in Pecos or another Run and Gun event let me know. I’d be happy to work with you.

Want a Private Concealed Carry Class?… These are becoming very popular. Contact me if you are interested in a private concealed carry class for you and your family or a few friends or your business. Scheduling is very flexible and we can work out a time that is convenient for you.

Individual or Small Group Firearms Training… If you are interested in personalized firearms training tailored to your training needs or interests, or with a group of your friends, or for your business, contact me and I’d be happy to visit with you about meeting your training needs. Any of the classes we offer, from Individual Training Sessions, Concealed Carry, Defensive Handgun, Defensive Carbine and Shotgun classes, as well as Basic Firearms Training, can be done on a personal basis for individuals, businesses or small groups. Scheduling is very flexible.

Regular Monthly Announcements (Reminders)… (I know you get tired of reading this but you do need to be reminded occasionally)

You need to take a Refresher (re-qualification) course two years after you receive your New Mexico concealed handgun license and you need to take a Renewalclass and apply to NMDPS for your concealed carry license to be renewed after four years. Take a look at your license periodically and make sure you take those classes. If you are in need of either the Refresher or Renewal classes, contact me and we can schedule your class.

To Learn Which Restaurants Sell Beer and Wine Only… You may carry your concealed handgun in a restaurant in New Mexico that is licensed to sell beer and wine only. This is known as a Restaurant License. Go to http://rldverification.rld.state.nm.us/Verification/Search.aspx?facility=Y and do a search. You can enter the name of the restaurant and see what kind of license they have, or you can get a list of all the restaurants with a restaurant license in that particular county. And remember… you cannot consume alcohol while you are carrying your concealed handgun.

Local Gunsmith… If you are looking for a gunsmith talk to Josh Prather of Prather Gunsmithing. He has worked on a couple of my guns and done an excellent job. You can contact him by email at prathergunsmithing@gmail.com or by phone at (575) 430-5820. Tell him I sent you.

Tip of the Month… Suggestions from the Tom Givens article discussed in the Interesting Thoughts above…Have the gun on your person, it won’t do you any good otherwise. Solid initial training, followed up with periodic sustainment training with your carry gear leads to a comfort level with the equipment fostering the willingness to actually wear it daily.

Learn to access the handgun from concealment, safely, reliably and quickly. Learn to get good, solid hits with the first rounds out of the gun. It would be good to know how to reload it and to fix malfunctions if they occur. Take a good course on legal issues, like one from Massad Ayoob or Andrew Branca, and then carry on.

Note…

In addition to our scheduled classes, private, individual or group sessions are available and may be scheduled at your convenience, on demand. We are willing to work with you to accommodate any particular firearms training and tailor our training classes as needed.

We are looking forward to training with you!

Please also let us know what types of classes you might be interested in that may not be on the schedule, or classes you might like us to offer.

Our Mission

To provide basic and advanced firearms training to law abiding individuals and groups in order to enhance their knowledge and skills of the recreational and defensive use of firearms.